By Daarinah Henry
I don’t know much about building a home from the ground up, but because my husband is a concrete foreman for high-rise construction, I do know that the foundation is vitally important. He once explained to me that before any home, building, or structure is built, someone has to check for bedrock (the solid layer beneath the loose rocks and soil). They drill deep, test the ground, and make sure it can actually carry the weight of the structure. If the bedrock is shallow, fractured, or absent, engineers must redesign, often using deeper foundations, or the project cannot safely proceed. In other words, if the foundation is not secure, the building is not safe. It may even stand for a little while but stress will eventually expose its weakness.
Jesus speaks to this in Matthew 7:24–27. He talks about two people who both built houses. The storm caused rain, flooding, and heavy winds to hit both homes. But the difference wasn’t in the way the storm hit, the difference was in each home’s foundation. The Home that was built on the rock stood firm, while the home built on sand completely collapsed.
The scripture is speaking to ALL who hear The Word of Christ. He lets us know that those who hear His Word and obey are wise and likened them to the home that remains intact. While, those who hear His Word and do not obey are foolish and are likened to the home that fell and was destroyed. The line between the foolish and the wise wasn’t knowledge, it was obedience. Here, we see Jesus directly connect obedience with stability.
What does it mean to have a secure foundation so that you know you are safe?
It means having a relationship with Christ, The Chief Cornerstone, being reconciled to Him through faith, listening to His Word, obeying His commands, and building your life on His teachings. In Him, you have eternal safety (John 10:28-29), emotional safety (Isaiah 26:3), and physical safety (Psalm 18). And when hard times come, we are not destroyed, but we trust Jesus and stand firm. Have you ever walked on the beach or built a sand castle? If so, you understand how unstable sand is, how easily it is washed away and how hard it is to stand in. Oftentimes, we put our faith in things that are like sinking sand and cannot truly support us. We may trust in money to give us security, popularity to give us worth, careers or relationships to give us identity, comfort to give us peace, or our own strength to get us through hard times. When those things fail, as they always will, you become overwhelmed, fearful, and shaken in your faith. However, when you delight in God’s Word by finding joy in reading and meditating on it, God will reveal His heart and guide your life. You will stand firm in obedience, choosing God in your daily actions, even when it gets difficult because you are “built different”.
When something or someone is “built different,” it means they’re able to hold up under pressure. To be built different in Christ is to walk in obedience to His Word while knowing that you’re secure in His arms. Life’s changes hit hard when careers, marriages, families, friendships, health, or dreams are challenged and when they are, what is left standing? When the storm passes through, it exposes what is beneath the surface. Things and sometimes people in life may shift, just like sand does. However, if your life is anchored to Christ, His teaching, His way, and His authority, there is stability. Not because you’re strong, but because your foundation is.
